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THE QUEST OF THE USS QUINCY

OR

THE SAGA OF THE MIGHTY “Q”

Being a history of the travels and adventures of one

F. D. King while aboard this mighty warship, a heavy

cruiser of the U. S Navy, from December 1943

(commissioning date) until transferred, October 1944.

(part 4)

Invasion of Southern France

August 14, 1944 - Underway along African coast. Passed Tunis and Bizerte at 0900. Captain Senn spoke to the crew, saying that we were headed for our second invasion, thirty miles east of Toulon in Southern France. Ships with us at

Normandy will be here also. We would bombard by day and leave at night for sea, returning in the morning. Would fire from deep water and expect opposition from Nazi planes. Our third army would be first in, followed by the French.

1500 - Passed through a convoy of liberty ships totaling over 30 in number. A French cruiser, 4 British cruisers and four destroyers are with us. Sea is very blue, sky is sunny. Hitler here we come!!

2000 - Passed 7 baby carriers and 7 tin cans which will be part of our air support. Planes will also cover us from Normandy and Corsica.

August 15, 1944 - D-Day - Reveille at 0400, GQ at 0430. Seven German planes passed over us an hour ago but we didn’t fire as our carrier planes took off after them.

0435 - Chaplain offered up a prayer.

0600 - Five thousand yards off the beach now. Catapulted both planes for spotting.

0601 - First salvo left the ship, first shot fired by any ship, our 8-inch guns doing the work.

0645 - PT boat just sunk by a mine. We are firing intermittently.

0715 - Destroyers near beach area firing their 40 mm guns and the Germans firing back with their 40’s. Some battle.

0745 - Bombers have been bombing the beach for 3/4 of an hour and have raised so much dust that we can't see the beach! Destroyers are bombarding beach, making ready for H-hour at 0800.

0810 - First wave of troops landed on beach.

0900 - Troops are landing on beach constantly and meeting no opposition. Have everything their own way. Rocket launching craft have returned after bombarding beach. Our planes have also returned safely for refueling.

1030 - Captain just announced that all landings have been completed successfully with very little opposition and that casualties are very light. Good news!! We have not fired a shot in 2 hours; no targets to fire on like Normandy. Germans

appear to have pulled out as targets we had picked out are deserted.

1100 - Our planes report nothing larger than a bicycle on roads heading north from red beach. Five targets are unoccupied or abandoned.

1200 – PA system announced that the army has taken 3 objectives with no resistance, Enemy is practically nil, just a few snipers. About 200 have withdrawn westward.

1220 -Another announcement that London radio has advised New York that Allied fleets bombarded Southern France and landed two divisions of troops.

1900 - Underway at 15 knots. Rumor has it that we are to bombard Toulon, France. Just cruised around all night going nowhere

August 16, 1944 - GQ at 0530 after I had a 12-4 watch! Secured at 0830 on - Condition Two. Now lying off our beachhead with other cruisers, doing nothing. France, from our position, is low and mountainous, a little different from

the northern part. Green trees and blue sea make a perfect picture. Everything is so quiet around here it's hard to believe we only landed yesterday.

1100 - Surprise, the Germans have been playing possum as they just fired 3 shots at us, barely missing. One shell went right over the fantail, others fell short.

We opened fire with our 8" guns, results not yet known. British ships with us, AJAX, RAMILLIES, DIDO, and French cruiser GLOIRE.

August 17, 1944 - Still off Cape Benet standing by. Received a "well done' from task force commander for our accurate gunfire today which destroyed a ammo dump. Our planes also were commended for excellent spotting and they obtained the surrender of a fort!

August 18, 1944 - Fired our 8" at a target and knocked it out. Down below decks in Main Battery plot they heard the aviator speaking "right on the button,"" said he!

August 19, 1944 - Underway today to cover NEVADA, LORAIN, AUGUSTA as they bombarded the STRASBOURG, a sunken BB in Toulon whose main batteries were still above water and might fire on us. We fired on shore batteries on their flank and knocked out 3 of them, the crews running out and surrendering. Fired on us but missed, no close hits.

2200 - Conference of ship captains here off beachhead, 10 or 11 ship shapes in gloom. Heard that Paris has fallen. Wonderful news! We'll be home soon!

August 20, 1944 - Mom's birthday. GQ at 0545. Trying to take Toulon today, by land, sea and air. We have knocked out 6 gun emplacements before our spotting plane was knocked down. Bombers went in and several were shot down. Army has captured several outside towns and is entering outskirts of Toulon.

1630 We are going in for a shot at a 14-inch twin gun whose range is more than ours. Have laid out here to air the ship as it's stuffy below decks. At GQ all day so far. We have been fired on and nearly hit several times, one shot going between our stacks, another over fantail. Several close splashes nearby. Both mine and Mom's birthdays were spent at GQ under battle conditions.

1640 - Enemy shells falling near us, can hear them plainly as shrapnel hits sides or shells burst in water near us. We are like David attacking Goliath with 8" vs. their 14” guns.

1700 - We are withdrawing; scored direct hits on the battery but our guns are not big enough to knock it out. They fired on us all the way in and out; one shot which made a splash 6 stories high! Glad it missed. Captain has just asked for permission to go in again, just trying for a medal. A glory hound is what we call him. Did not Go in again so permission not granted but out to sea.

2100 - After securing from GQ for two hours – that had been on since 0600 this morning, we went in again. Are now at a rendezvous with all ships of task force; AUGUSTA, OMAHA, NEVADA, LORAINE, AJAX and others. No dope on conference yet. Can see huge fires burning astern of us on a hilly piece of land. About 10 fires in all, don't know what it is, though.

August 21, 1944 - Cruising around, just standing by if needed and to let our guns cool off, I guess. Lovely day, bright sunshine and blue water. The French battleship LORAINE cheered us yesterday as we steamed in against the 14” German gun emplacement. Crew lined up on main deck and gave 3 cheers as we passed by, a nice gesture.

1515 - Still cruising around. Can see LORAIN bombarding beach in distance.

USS PHILADELPHIA just passed us with a French cruiser and one of our cans. Nice ship.

1800 - GQ. We are going in to take on some more guns. Hear that we were relieved from this task force but Captain asked to stay!

1930 - Now in sight of our target. Our two planes are spotting. Enemy shell hit 400 yards off starboard bow.

1940 - Commenced firing on target.

2000 - Direct hit on target, a fort on top of hill. Looking for another target. Secured at 2145, targets abandoned. Troops are entering Toulon. Can see bombers attacking city and large explosions from topside. RAMILLES has 58 German prisoners aboard who tried to escape by boat.

August 22, 1944 - On watch this a.m. when we were cruising around at 5 knots, standing by. Heard a bang, then a whooshing sound as a shell passed over my head, through the superstructure and landed in the sea 50 yards on the other side of the ship. WOW! Increased speed to 21 knots; another landed in our wake!

1300 - GQ as we rapidly go to our battle stations. USS OMAHA reports that it has been hit twice.

1340 - Opened fire.

1400 - Target knocked out. Take on another.

1415 - Underway at 30 knots, shells splashing astern of us. Two more splashed astern, they can't catch us. We went in to 2000 yards.

1455 - Got a direct hit on a 3-gun emplacement!

1540 - Advised that we had 5 targets; knocked out 3 and had hits on the other two.

Destroyer tells us has sub contact. Secured from GQ at 1800.

August 23, 1944 - Dawn GQ again. Geez, no sleep, too hot in compartment. Saw several fires on beach over 10-mile area. From bombs, no doubt. GQ at 0900, went in and fired 5" and 8" guns at targets. Knocked them out, but that 14" came

close to us again, splashing close astern. GQ again at 1400 - Fired on several targets. They fired back, coming very close and we left at 30 knots.

August 24, 1944 - Went in again and wasted ammo on "Long Tom”, the 14" with no effect.

1500 - Left at 30 knots for Marseilles, where our tin cans need help. HILADELPHIA and 3 carriers ahead of us as we approach. Minesweepers busy cleaning out mines, then we go in and start firing. Knocked out a 5" gun emplacement. We have now fired more rounds in combat than any other heavy cruiser.

August 25, 1944 – Laid outside Marseilles all day.

August 26, 1944 - 1200 - Arrived Algiers for ammo, stores and fuel. Many windowed tall houses dot the area. Lots of cargo ships in port. Can see some trees around, not so barren as Oran.

August 27, 1944 - 0500 - Left Algiers for Marseilles.

August 29, 1944 - Underway for Palermo, Sicily. Arrived 1900, stayed outside harbor and put to sea with OMAHA & MARBLEHEAD, 2 four-stack cruisers. Destination - Oran.

August 30, 1944 - Underway

August 31, 1944 - Arrived Oran, Algeria. Received loads of mail.

September 1, 1944 - Underway for home!! MARBLEHEAD and CINCINNATI; 2 tin cans .in company with OMAHA. TEXAS, NEVADA and ARKANSAS here in Oran, Algeria. We could not make a fast run home because the CINCINNATI had lost a propeller and could not make more than 15 knots. However, when we neared the U.S. coast the CINCINNATI turned south to Norfolk and left us free to head towards Boston at 28 knots making a much smoother faster ride. We tied up in South Boston and prepared for a 7-day leave. After a ship comes back from combat, the crew is divided into three parts. One third stays on board, 1/3 goes to new construction as a veteran crew to serve as the nucleus of a new ship's crew and one third gets shore duty. I was in the latter third being transferred to the Naval Supply Depot in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, just outside Harrisburg. The balance of the war was spent there until enough points were accumulated for my discharge. Storekeepers needed more points for discharge as they were considered necessary to inventory all supplies for storage. Was then transferred to Bainbridge, Maryland for Honorable Discharge on April 4, 1946 and became a civilian once again having served the Navy for 3 years, 4 months and 12 days - September 23, 1942 to April 4, 1946.

Medals (and ribbons) received were American Theatre, European Theatre (2 stars), Good Conduct and Victory medals.